Sunday, July 29, 2007

Quick Enchilada Casserole

Here is something I threw together in the kitchen this afternoon, and boy is it good! I figured I'd share it so anyone who wants to can make this tasty recipe! I'll call it Randy's Quick Enchilada Casserole. It started out as a way to use up a few ingredients we had in the refrigerator, but ended up as a very delicious meal. Of course, if you don't want the quick version, you could cook your own beans, roast your own chili peppers, make your own sauce, and even make your own tortillas. But quick and easy is so good with minimal fuss. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Half a can of refried beans

About 4 oz. of shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, whatever you like)

One bottle of 505 Red Enchilada Sauce, Hatch, or whatever brand you prefer.

Half pound of cooked ground beef

Small can of chopped green chilis

A few sliced, black olives

Three large flour tortillas

Preparation

If you don't have the beef already cooked, quickly brown it in a skillet, drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Assembly

Pour a thin layer of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. This will keep the casserole from sticking.

Spread the refried beans onto one of the tortillas to approximately the size of the 8" dish. This should be about a 10-inch diameter tortilla to fit up the sides of the dish.

Lay the tortilla with the beans into the dish on top of the thin layer of sauce.

Pour about a third of the sauce over the top of the beans.

Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese over the top.

Put the next tortilla into the dish.

Distribute the beef in a layer on top of the second tortilla.

Add chopped roasted green chilis in whatever amount you like.

Put about half of the remaining sauce over the layers below.

Top with another layer of shredded cheese.

Put the third tortilla on top and press it down on top of the other layers. You can crease the tortilla along the edge of the dish to square it up if you like.

Add the remaining sauce over the top. Add another thin layer of shredded cheese. Top with a few slices of black olives.

Cover with aluminum foil, place in center rack of oven and bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Remove from oven, let stand for about 5-10 minutes, cut and serve. For extra flair, and to make it feed more, serve with a side of Spanish Rice and avocado slices.